I’m not a fan of Marvel characters, but I’ve watched a few movies under the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Let’s go back in time before Chris Evans portrayed as Captain America. This film was a co-production of Marvel and Menahem Golan’s then-newly acquired 21st Century Films. The hero was portrayed by Matt Salinger, the son of the late author J.D. Salinger (the author of Catcher in the Rye).

The movie isn’t that bad, but it has a lot of flaws. Not to mention it was done on a limited scripting and tighter budget than Superman 4. It didn’t have enough action scenes with Cap having only his shield to protect himself and fling it against the enemies. (The current Cap had a gun with him.) Some of the scenes are shot in Italy instead of Germany. The Red Skull is portrayed as a Fascist instead of a Nazi. The ending…

Throughout the 90s, Ian Veneracion has starred in several action movies, earning him the reputation of being one of the youngest action stars of the era. While he starred as a gang leader in Bukas, Tatakpan Ka Ng Dyaryo, he starred in a more respectable role as a leader of a police team in Bastardo.

Bastardo (OctoArts/GMA)

Bastardo tells the story of Bobby Cuevas, a young policeman from Olongapo who goes through two separate obstacles. Bobby and his team successfully arrested Kevin Marquez (portrayed by Ramon Christopher) for abducting a businessman. But despite pleading guilty, he was able to escape with the help of his brother (portrayed by the late Mark Gil). The gang’s abduction of Bobby’s girlfriend (portrayed by Ina Raymundo) led him to a final fight. Meanwhile, Bobby’s half-brother Leo (portrayed by Raymond Bagatsing) who is envious of the former’s reputation as a policeman, leading to…

Since the mid 80s, Roi Vinzon has bagged character – mostly villain – roles in several action movies. But, he’s impressive in portraying lead roles as well. Though his first lead role was one of the Grease Gun Brothers in 1985, 1994 is considered his breakout year with Baby Paterno.

Baby Paterno (Levin/Viva)

Baby Paterno tells the story of a tough guy from the province who moved to Manila to become a police, by his uncle’s encouragement. Due to his strict disciplinary acts, he became a respected policeman in the city. Later in the movie, he realizes that the police department of Manila is incompetent due to unsolved cases, triggering him to kill Gen. Felipe (portrayed by Dante Rivero) and his right-hand man Bernade (portrayed by Paquito Diaz).

There are a couple of flaws I observed. His pairing with Sunshine Cruz, who portrayed as Sgt. Anabelle Morales, leaves me…

The government responded slow against the coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19). While Vietman, South Korea, Taiwan and Russia closed their borders, the Philippines refused to ban flights from China because it may affect their friendship with the country. For God’s sake, the temporary flight ban has nothing to do with racism. And “boosting our immune system” isn’t enough. Talk about common sense.

Sec. Duque should’ve known better since he tackled on a successful fight against AH1N1 virus a decade ago. Had the temporary ban on China been implemented earlier, then this country would’ve had less than a thousand cases as of now. They only implemented the Community Quarantine (a form of lockdown) after the first case was detected. Can’t help, but blame Duque and ex-Spox Panelo for this mess. Duque has seen better days, suffice to say.

While Vietnam and Taiwan successfully fought the virus, most of this country is still…

Wings in 1975 (Louder Sound)

Paul McCartney is unarguably one of the best artists of all time. Some say he’s the superior member of the Fab Four. After the break-up of The Beatles, his debut album “McCartney” and his album with his late wife Linda Eastman “Ram” found himself struggling to find his own image, despite their commercial success.

Paul had accepted that The Beatles are over, but he wasn’t ready for a solo career. He felt that he wasn’t able to accomplish what he had planned during the final years as a Beatle. So, he decided to form what would become Wings. with Linda, Denny Laine, a former Moody Blues member during its early years known for their hit song “Go Now”, and Denny Seiwell, who worked with Paul in “Ram”. That said, Wings is considered the second chapter in Paul’s successful music career.

WILD LIFE…

A few years ago, while searching for what Yacht Rock is, I stumbled into an online show of the same name.

Yacht Rock Episode 1

Hosted by “Hollywood” Steve Huey, this mockumentary (combination of mock and documentary) revolves around the aspects of this genre and what made it popular back in the day. It also revolves around the lives of Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins, who formed an unlikely friendship after they were inspired by a fictional music producer named Koko Goldstein. However, their friendship went down the drain after Koko’s death.

The creators JD Ryznar, Hunter Stair and Dave Lyons gave all the artists in the series their own bizarre persona which were indeed different from reality. Among them are:

1. Michael McDonald – An idealistic singer-songwriter who is way obsessed with smooth music.
2. Jim Messina – A drunkard who became bitter & whiny for the success of his…

The sibling (mis)adventures in Sandugo are coming to an end this Friday.

Sandugo’s Final Week (Dreamscape)

First aired on September 30, 2019, Sandugo stars EJ Falcon & Aljur Abrenica as brothers Julius Caesar and Aristotle who grew up with separate lives. JC became an NBI agent while Aris became a syndicate leader. Eventually, they’d cross paths and become mortal enemies, not knowing they’re brothers.

The series initially performed very well, hovering within of 5-8% (based on AGB Nielsen NUTAM), and consistently defeated Madrasta. However, by the end of November, tables turned against Sandugo as it lost to Madrasta and Bilangin ang Bituin sa Langit for the rest of its run. By this time, it declined to around 4-5%. Despite being overshadowed by its rivals throughout the majority of its run, the series managed to produce 125 episodes once it concludes this Friday.

The series was able to deliver its…

Neo Retro 105.9 (Bright Star)

At the start of a new decade, Neo Retro 105.9 had its official launch. It has brought back its Classic Hits format with a slight twist. It is under the helm of the unbreakable duo, The Triggerman and The Mole (both who used to be part of Retro 105.9), along with John Hendrix (of Campus Radio), The Bug (who was recently part of 104.3 FM2), Rudolph Rivera (who was also part of Retro 105.9), Hitman (of GV 99.1, DM 95.5 & Radyo5) and Gentle Giant (no idea on which station he was part of).

LITE FM’S SILENT DEMISE

At the start of December 2019, Lite FM quietly went off the air and began its slow transition, adding songs from the 70s to 90s to its playlist. The branding was omitted from the Station ID, and an acknowledgement plug voiced by The Mole regarding…

I Have A Lover ended its run with a high note yesterday with the couples Marvin and Aira finally back together.

First aired on October 21, 2019, I Have A Lover starred Ji Jin-Hee and Kim Hyun-joo as couples Marvin and Aira, whose relationship fell apart after the death of their daughter. The series performed pretty well, averaging within 5-7% (based on AGB Nielsen NUTAM), and consistently beat rival Wagas, Taste of Love, Love Alert and the replay of The Crown Princess. Overall, it had a span of 100 episodes, much longer that the other Asian dramas aired on the network’s other timeslots.

While it didn’t come close to the success of the network-produced romantic comedy and child-oriented series, the success of I Have A Lover proved that ABSCBN was able to maintain its late morning dominance with Asian dramas.

LOVE IN SADNESS

To maintain its current…

Turns out GMA’s Telebabad started at the wrong foot at the start of the new decade.

GMA Telebabad’s New Schedule

Since Anak ni Waray vs. Anak ni Biday premiered, it is scoring a mere 10% (based on AGB Nielsen NUTAM), a far cry from Kara Mia‘s impressive performance. On the other hand, Descendants Of The Sun is performing pretty well with an average of 10-11% and comes so close to beating rival Make It With You. Not to mention the series received positive feedback from its viewers.

To address this issue, GMA decided to move Waray vs. Biday to the 2nd timeslot in hopes of giving the series less pressure to succeed, knowing its light storyline. In turn, Descendants Of The Sun will move to Waray vs. Biday’s old timeslot and become the 16th series to face Ang Probinsyano. While the former was in production, it was…